Council accused of working against Tipperary locals over Shannon pipeline objections
The local authority appears to be working against community groups who want to raise concerns about a proposed pipeline to channel water from Lough Derg in Tipperary to Dublin.
That’s according to local councillor Séamie Morris, who is in the process of putting together an objection to the planned Shannon pipeline, which, if granted planning permission, will see a 170km pipe installed to pump water from the Parteen Basin to Dublin.
The Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region is set to be the largest-ever water project in Irish history with an estimated cost of between €4.58billion and €5.96bn.
It aims to reduce reliance on the River Liffey as Dublin’s main supply of water, and increase water supplies to the capital city. The project is currently with An Coimisiún Pleanála, and is open to public submissions.
Mr Morris, who has been opposed to the scheme since it was first mooted, has set up a community group of people who are also against the scheme to lodge a formal objection with An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Cllr Morris said that he had a large number of people on board.
"It’s going extraordinarily well. I have environmentalists, ecologists, barristers, solicitors, river users, boat users and anglers, as well as a project manager who is managing the whole thing, and she is absolutely brilliant.
"I’ve got Limerick City and County Council to call an emergency meeting, Clare County Council are working on holding one, and I have the full support of the other eight Nenagh Municipal District councillors to object to the project,” Cllr Morris said.
Under the plans, Uisce Éireann say that 2pc of the total water volume will be taken from the Parteen Basin, treated and then pumped to Dublin, but Cllr Morris says that his research shows that the total amount of water taken from the river will actually be much higher.
"Let’s be honest, Uisce Éireann are talking about taking 2pc of the water, that is scandalous. They’ve never been asked 2pc of what.
"We have a couple of engineers on board as well, and we know from the numbers being crunched that, at times, they will be taking up to 40pc of the water from the lower Shannon.
"That water is regulated by the ESB, and they let a certain amount of water into the lower Shannon, and that’s where the water is going to be affected. There’s times they don’t let down enough water, there’s times they haven’t enough water to let down,” he explained.
Drier summers have led to droughts across Ireland, with concerns locally that during these dry periods, the river will be reduced to a trickle.
"Most of last year, there wasn’t enough rain to sustain the amount of water that has to be let down,” Cllr Morris said.
"We’ve gone through the numbers and there will be times when there will only be a trickle of water going into Limerick, and that’s not a one-off thing, this is happening regularly.
"I’m trying to get Tipperary County Council, Limerick City and County Council and Clare County Council to do their own needs assessments and see what could be the consequence of taking such a high amount of water from the region,” he added.
Tipperary County Council have hired consultants to put together a submission on the project, Cllr Morris said, but added that concerned locals were not allowed to add their thoughts to the council’s submission.
“I asked them would they take submissions from us, and amazingly, our own consultants, working on behalf of the people of Tipperary will not take submissions from anglers, or environmentalists, ecologists or anyone that’s concerned about the future environment or the ecology of the Mid West,” Cllr Morris said.
“It’s amazing that our own council seems to be working against us,” he added.
The River Shannon Protection Alliance, a group set up to oppose the proposed pipeline, have said that even if the scheme did go ahead, almost half of the water would be lost through leaks in Dublin’s pipes.
"An alarming 50pc of the water supplied to Dublin is wasted due to leakage of the old Victorian-era pipelines,” the group said.
"It is about 30 years ago when Dublin City Council were advised by consultants the silver bullet they needed was a pipeline to bring water from the Shannon to Dublin.
“Imagine 30 years ago and despite all the technological advances no better solution than the Shannon pipeline has been recommended by Uisce Éireann,” they added.
Their proposed solution includes making use of existing water supplies around Dublin, as well as repurposing the Poulaphouca at Blessington reservoir for water supply rather than electricity generation.
"Using this reservoir for water supply rather than electricity generation will help meet Dublin's needs without the exorbitant cost of the Shannon Pipeline,” they said.
"Using untapped water sources, such as the River Boyne, Liffey, Slaney, and Barrow, and groundwater resources is an opportunity for sustainable water supply. This can reduce reliance on distant sources like the Shannon and ensure long-term water security for Dublin,” the group added.
The group also said fostering economic growth in the Midlands rather than Dublin would reduce pressure on infrastructure and ensure a more equitable distribution of resources.
Despite this, Uisce Éireann say the project is badly needed and will enable Dublin to grow into the future.
"The need is clear,” said Maria O’Dwyer, infrastructure delivery director at Uisce Éireann. “The growing water supply deficit and lack of supply resilience in the Eastern and Midlands Region is simply not sustainable.
"It is estimated 34pc more water will be needed by 2044 in the Greater Dublin Area,” she said.
"This project is critical to enable us to support housing delivery and is backed by the Government’s continued funding commitment,” Ms O’Dwyer added.
Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Minister Jack Chambers said that the submitting of a planning application for the project was a milestone.
"The submission of this planning application for the Water Supply Project to An Coimisiún Pleanála is a major milestone that will unlock housing in the Eastern and Midlands Region.
"This project is a vital piece of infrastructure to support Ireland’s development, not alone in the delivery of new homes for young people, families and workers in our economy, but to sustain businesses and communities right through the Midlands and Eastern region of our country,” he added.
While the project is at planning permission stage, the water utility will continue to work with contractors, they said, to ensure that the project can go ahead as quickly as possible if planning permission is granted.
Public submissions can be made up until February 25, while Tipperary County Council have until the end of March to make an official submission on the project.